Create a small business website

Which web hosting solution is best?

Selecting the right web hosting plan is vital to ensuring the performance, security and management of your website. Choose a hosting plan that offers good bandwidth, fast loading time, and robust security measures to protect your business data. Shared hosting solutions are cost-effective and suitable for small and medium businesses, while dedicated servers offer more control, customisation and resources. It’s also worth thinking about the scalability of your hosting plan to support your business as it grows online, and be sure to choose a hosting solution with responsive technical support to assist you when needed.

How to choose a domain name

Choosing a domain name is crucial when building your website. It should be easy to remember, reflect your company’s identity, and contain SEO-relevant keywords. Choose a short name without any special characters: a clear domain name strengthens your company's credibility and makes it easier to identify online. Furthermore, to protect your brand effectively, we recommend registering domain names with multiple extensions (e.g. .com or .co.uk), as well as an extension related to your business sector, such as .store if you have an online store, for example. For added security, you can also register domain names with the most common spelling mistakes (e.g. if your customers write your brand name with an “i” instead of a “y”). Then, you can redirect from these secure domain names to your main address.

What are the best CMSs?

A good content management system (CMS) allows you to easily create and manage content, customise your website design, and incorporate advanced features without requiring extensive technical skills. In short, it makes it easy to manage content, and update and develop your website. The CMS you choose is a key factor for managing your website. Among the most popular solutions, WordPress stands out for its flexibility, its range of plugins and intuitive interface. Joomla! and Drupal are also solid options for more complex projects that require advanced features.

Which design should I choose for my website?

The design of your website is essential for capturing the attention of your visitors and offering a pleasant user experience. Opt for a responsive design that adapts to all types of screens (computers, tablets, smartphones) and choose a clear and intuitive interface, with colours and fonts that tie in with your brand identity. High-quality visuals and smooth navigation significantly increase user satisfaction and reduce bounce rates. A professional and well-considered design also strengthens your company’s image, aiding with better communication and effective management of your online presence.

Keyword search

Keyword searches are vital to targeting search terms that potential customers use in search engines. Ask your customers what they type into search engines to find you, and use online tools to identify those relevant keywords. Integrate them naturally into your titles, descriptions and content to improve your SEO ranking. A good keyword strategy will attract qualified visitors and increase the visibility of your small business website.

On-page optimisation

On-page optimisation includes improving titles, meta descriptions, alt tags for images, and URLs. Use eye-catching headlines with keywords, write relevant, engaging meta descriptions, and add descriptive alt tags to images. Make sure your content is structured with subheadings (H2, H3) and that the URLs are short and clear.

Quality content creation

Publishing relevant and engaging content on a regular basis is crucial for SEO. Write blog articles, case studies, and guides that answer your customers’ questions. Use targeted keywords and make sure the content is informative and useful. Quality content attracts more visitors, increases time spent on the site and encourages social media sharing, all of which boost your SEO and improve your company’s communication.

Backlinks and netlinking

Netlinking, or the strategy of creating links, is essential for improving the authority of your site. Backlinks are links to your website from other web pages, signalling its credibility. To get quality backlinks, you'll need to create valuable content that other sites will want to share. Participating in forums, writing guest articles, and collaborating with influencers in your industry is a good strategy.